(January 2008) Education is both a public and private good. Paid for largely from tax dollars – both state and local – public education benefits students and their families. But the community at large also benefits – in the form of a well-prepared workforce, decreased human service costs, civically engaged residents, and more.
In partnership with the Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN), the Pennsylvania Economy League and WITF-TV bring you a series of programs on many of the most important policy issues facing Pennsylvanians – such as education, health care, energy and infrastructure, and local government and community vitality. The series is modeled after the award-winning 2006 IssuesPA TV series and includes reporting from PPTN stations throughout the state.
Funding support for the program is provided in part by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities. Funding support also comes from PPTN and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
The first episode, which airs this month on public broadcast stations statewide, looks at education in the Commonwealth. Nearly every Pennsylvanian impacts and is impacted by the public education system – as a student, parent, consumer, taxpayer, neighbor, employer, voter. High quality educational systems – from early learning through adult learning – help make any community a better place to live, work and do business.
So just what kind of public commitment are we talking about? In the 2007-2008 state budget, roughly $9.4 billion is dedicated to education – that’s more than one-third of the overall state general fund budget. With that kind of financial commitment, clearly education is among the top priorities of state government – whether it is funding for early learning programs, basic education, special education, colleges and universities, training programs for displaced workers, and more.
The first IssuesPA TV episode will feature three areas: higher education, early learning, and use of technology:
Higher education is big business in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is home to 130 colleges and universities and more than 320 private-licensed schools – and more than 650,000 students. There are many public policy issues impacted by higher education – ranging from the impact of the colleges and universities on their host municipalities, the economic and workforce development potential of the institutions, and the opportunity to keep graduating students in Pennsylvania by providing employment opportunities and the amenities they seek.
Pennsylvania is a relative newcomer in its public investment in early learning. Traditionally in Pennsylvania, early learning has been a parental responsibility or privately funded, with little state role. Research on the impact of early learning is complex and multi-faceted, studying the long-term benefit to the child, including increased earning power, decreased reliance on human services, and higher educational achievement; the benefit to employers, including a better-prepared workforce of the future along with decreased absenteeism among parents of young children; and the benefit to taxpayers, including decreased educational costs in future years, decreased participation in the correctional system, and decreased need for welfare assistance, all taxpayer funded programs.
Basic education – and particularly how it is funded - is a vital and hotly debated public policy issue. Our schools are funded through a combination of state and local tax dollars. Whether or not the distribution of funds is fair or equitable is a frequent debate among lawmakers, education advocates and taxpayer groups. As important is the quality of the educational programs. One effort to improve the educational quality of our schools and better prepare students for the technological world we live in is the ‘Classrooms of the Future’ program. How have educators adopted technology using distance learning, computers in the classroom, cyberschools and more, and what does it mean for the future of education in Pennsylvania?
Throughout the year, IssuesPA TV and www.IssuesPA.net will tackle many of the most challenging issues facing state policymakers and citizens. The series will feature diverse viewpoints and examples of how different regions of the state are impacted by the issues.
To view programs locally, check your public broadcast listing. Also check the events page for local scheduled air times.
More resources on education in Pennsyvlania:
EMAIL
PRINT
